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This vehicle has a horsepower-to-ton ratio of nearly 20 which translates to a very mobile and nimble tank. The top speed of 56 km/h is good but still pales in comparison next to the 90 km/h of the Puma armoured cars. However, it's tracks handle much better at high speeds than the Puma's wheels, and it is able to make far tighter turns and faster stops. The maximum reverse speed is 10 km/h, which for a tank is decent and will let you easily get out of perilous situations where other tanks of the rank struggle when retreating.

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This vehicle has a horsepower-to-ton ratio of nearly 20 which translates to a very mobile and nimble tank. The top speed of 56 km/h is good but still pales in comparison next to the 90 km/h of the Puma armoured cars. However, its tracks handle much better at high speeds than the Puma's wheels, and it is able to make far tighter turns and faster stops. The maximum reverse speed is 10 km/h, which for a tank is decent and will let you easily get out of perilous situations where other tanks of the rank struggle when retreating.

Description

The 5 cm Pak38 auf Pz.Kpfw.II Sonderfahrgestell 901 is a gift rank II German light tank
with a battle rating of 2.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.43 as the Pz.Kpfw. II Ausf. H (Pz.II H for short) as part of the "Heavy Armor advanced pack". In Update 1.89, the vehicle was renamed to the current designation.

General info

Survivability and armour

Having 30 mm of frontal armour, this tank isn't made for the frontlines. The three crew members mean that 1-shot destruction is a common possibility. Worse still, this tank has no roof protection with the cloth covering being only cosmetic. Unfortunately, this also means that you are very vulnerable to aircraft attacks too. Your demure silhouette will let you easily hide in the small nooks and crannies of maps and lets you cover your entire tank with bushes for extra concealment.

Mobility

This vehicle has a horsepower-to-ton ratio of nearly 20 which translates to a very mobile and nimble tank. The top speed of 56 km/h is good but still pales in comparison next to the 90 km/h of the Puma armoured cars. However, its tracks handle much better at high speeds than the Puma's wheels, and it is able to make far tighter turns and faster stops. The maximum reverse speed is 10 km/h, which for a tank is decent and will let you easily get out of perilous situations where other tanks of the rank struggle when retreating.

Mobility characteristics

Weight (tons)

Add-on armourweight (tons)

Max speed (km/h)

10.5

N/A

62 (AB)

56 (RB/SB)

Engine power (horsepower)

Mode

Stock

Upgraded

Arcade

???

???

Realistic/Simulator

???

200

Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)

Mode

Stock

Upgraded

Arcade

??.??

??.??

Realistic/Simulator

??.??

19.05

Armaments

Main armament

The PaK 38 is probably the best gun you can find at this battle rating range. The shells have decent penetration, good post pen damage and an incredible APCR round makes this tank able to punch way above its weight. Don't be afraid to take this tank into higher rank battles. Beware, though, it will struggle against the upper front plate of T-34s and Shermans, so remember their frontal weak spots. Not that you should be engaging those tanks frontally anyway. Always bring high explosive rounds, as the lack of any secondary armament makes lighter vehicles harder to fight effectively.

Usage in battles

Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).

Modules

Tier

Mobility

Protection

Firepower

I

Tracks

Parts

Horizontal Drive

PzGr 40/1

II

Suspension

Brake System

FPE

Adjustment of Fire

Airstrike

III

Filters

Crew Replenishment

Elevation Mechanism

PzGr 40

IV

Transmission

Engine

Artillery Support

Improved optics

Pros and cons

Pros:

Has a gun which will reliably penetrate pretty much any of its expected enemies

Is very, very fast (Max speed off-road of around 56 km/h)

Has a decent reload speed

Has the scouting ability, can earn you some extra silver lions and valuable intel for your team

Because of lack of armour, some shells will pass right through you

Can change positions very quickly if needed

Can get to the cap points and good positions early in the match

Cons:

Weak armour - trade-off of speed for less weight

Open top, planes can destroy the vehicle with machine guns when strafing very easily

No stabiliser, which means that the gun will take a moment to settle after stopping the tank

Has very bad depression angles

If your tracks or engine are knocked out, you are a basically a sitting duck

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === In-game description ===, also if applicable).

In-game description

In July, 1940 Armament Command ordered two light tank prototypes with enhanced weaponry from the company MAN. Rheinmetall-Borsig built the cannons and the bulkheads comprising the body.

In January, 1942 four tanks were produced and immediately sent to the Eastern Front as part of the 1st and 3rd squads of the 559 Antitank Battalion.

An open-top rotating hexagonal turret with no rear wall was installed. Its primary weapon was a 50mm KwK 39.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example: